JAKARTA-Research and Development Agency of Energy and Mineral Resources at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (MEMR) has completed a five-month road test on use of biodiesel with a bio-content of 30% (B30) in diesel-powered vehicles.

JAKARTA-The House of Representatives member called on the Government to include palm oil issues in every trade negotiations, including in negotiations over Indonesia European Union Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement/IEU-CEPA. "The Government must include palm oil in every trade negotiations with other countries, including with the European Union," Vice Chairman of Commission IV of The House of Representatives Hasan Aminuddin said in a hearing with Minsitry of Agriculture and Indonesian Palm Oil Association (Gapki) in Jakarta, (25/11/2019). Hasan said palm oil production has contributed to economic benefits such as government revenues, profits for companies, employment, and raised incomes for smallholders.

BOGOR-Hundreds of Indonesian youth gathered in Bogor, West Java, 20-22 November 2019 for a ""Youth for Indonesian Palm Oil""-themed program.

JAKARTA-India\'s policy to reduce import duties on Indonesian processed palm oil to 45% has risen Indonesia\'s shipment to India.

KUALA LUMPUR-Nine world\'s major palm oil producing countries convened on 18 November 2019 at the 2nd Ministerial Meeting of Palm Oil Producing Countries (MMPOPC) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to deliberate a number of crucial issues in palm oil industry and strengthen collaboration.

KUALA LUMPUR- Coordinating Economic Minister Airlangga Hartato led delegation of Indonesia to the 2nd Ministerial Meeting of Palm Oil Producing Countries (MMPOPC) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Monday (18/11/2019). The meeting had the presence of several ministers and other high-level representative from Malaysia, Indonesia, Colombia, Thailand, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Ghana, Honduras and Brazil. A number of crucial issues in palm oil industry were discussed as a follow-up to the matters arising from previous meeting in Bali, 2 November 2017, including: (1) to improve productivity of plantations owned by smallholders, (2) to overcome trade barriers in primary consumer countries, and (3) to figure out obstacles in the market. Airlangga, in his remarks, shared Indonesia\'s experience in implementing mandatory use of biodiesel with a 20% bio-content, known as B20, which will be switched to B30 by 2020.

BELITUNG-Another training session on palm oil topic has been held by Training Center of Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) to expand the knowledge base of senior diplomats on sustainable palm oil. The Senior Diplomatic Training Course (Sesparlu) Batch 63 was held at the Training Center of PT Austindo Nusantara Jaya Tbk (PT ANJ) in Belitung, Kepulauan Bangka Belitung, 14 to 16 November 2019.

JAKARTA-Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (MEMR) has set biodiesel Market Price Index (MPI) for period of November 2019 at Rp7,157 per liter, lower Rp201 than previous month at Rp7,358 per liter. The current MPI was weighed down by the decrease of the Crude Palm Oil (CPO) average price.

DENPASAR-Vice President Ma\'ruf Amin has suggested to the national palm oil industry to improve productivity of oil palm plantations and palm oil competitiveness in the global market. The government has launched smallholders\' oil palm plantations replanting program, widely known as PSR, to boost productivity.

JAKARTA- The Indonesian Agency for Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT) together with Indonesia-Australia Partnership on Food Security in the Red Meat and Cattle Sector (the Partnership) initiated a conference to discuss cattle breeding program in oil palm plantations. The Integrated Cattle & Oil Palm Production (ICOP) Conference 2019 which was held in Jakarta (23/10/2019) provided an interactive forum to discuss the opportunities and challenges around the cattle and oil palm integration, and to encourage further collaboration and investment in promoting profitable cattle and oil-palm integration. "The conference is aimed to feature research conducted by BPPT on cow breeding program in a number of oil palm plantations in Pelalawan, Riau, Indonesia,\` Hammam Riza, Chairman of BPPT, said at JS Luwansa Hotel, Jakarta, Wednesday (23/10/2019). He said, Indonesia imported around 40% of its domestic beef demand.